The Present
by Blade of Justice
Summary: Ikaruga and Yomi's first Christmas together has finally come, but with it comes the question of what to get. For Ikaruga, this ends up becoming a very hard decision. Hoping to get something just right, she seeks out the advice of her fellow shinobi, sure that at least one of them can help her. Will she make it in time, or will this be a Christmas disaster?


Ikaruga was not a woman who liked to flaunt the things that she had been blessed with by fate and "good" fortune. Quite the contrary, in fact. Considering how she had come to acquire those things — the wealth of being part of her family, in particular — flaunting it was simply not something that often, if ever, crossed her mind. There were few, almost no exceptions to this part of her, and while some might also have been so honest in her situation, just as many would have happily taken advantage of it. No matter what, Ikaruga was Ikaruga, and she would rather prove her merits on her own than allow her family to decide her worth for her.

However... There _were_ exceptions to this. Noble though she may have been, she was still human.

Ikaruga, as it happened, was a human that cherished those close to her dearly. Perhaps more than anything else in the world. Her friends, her comrades, her fellow shinobi, and so on — even her brother, despite these feelings not at all being reciprocated. While she would never waste money needlessly, especially considering a certain person, maintaining positivity, whether on the good side or the evil side, was important for accomplishing one's mission. As such, while she would never give any gift with a monetary value that would outclass any gifts her other friends might be giving the gift getter as well, she was not opposed to spending... a bit more than a little extra when it came to giving those she loved a token of her appreciation for them.

At least, this was the logic Ikaruga tried to use to convince herself that she was doing the right thing. Ever since she had become closer to a certain member of the "enemy," and even more after that person stopped seeming much like an "enemy" at all, she'd become even more conscious of how she used her family's money that ever — even well after the person became aware of Ikaruga's own circumstances and stopped holding her family against her. For Ikaruga, who had already been conscious of this fact, knowing this person made her always careful to _be_ careful.

For the most part, it had served her well. She never felt like she flaunted herself, and the recipients of anything she offered were only ever happy, but never taken by surprise by an anything that was outside of their normal reach. She put a lot of thought into what she gave as gifts to those around her, and so long as she could make people happy, then that was enough for her. It was the class representative's duty, after all, to look after everyone else, and this was just another way of going about it.

However... The shinobi realized, as her first Christmas after having gotten to know a certain, special someone quickly began to approach, that she wasn't sure how to handle this.

This certain someone was none other than the former... still... _occasional_ "enemy" that had gotten Ikaruga to start being even more conscious of herself than she already was in the first place. This certain individual was also the person who wanted the least out of anyone she knew or anyone she had ever met. Ikaruga even had it on good authority that, at one point in her past, the person in question had been offered a few thousand yen, but declined, saying she only needed twenty for what she wanted.

In short, Ikaruga knew that getting anything for her at all beyond what the girl in question considered essential might be taken the wrong way entirely, and the shinobi wanted very much for that not to be the case — gifts were meant to be enjoyed, not to be the source of negativity and even resentment. Even if, through some contrived means, she was forgiven by this person, if she offered anything that hurt, offended, or upset someone like that, then she still wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

Unfortunately, despite knowing all of this perfectly well, she _still_ was no closer to figuring out what to do about her situation, and time was running out.

Because soon, very soon indeed, it would be time for the first Christmas Ikaruga would share with Yomi.

* * *

><p>Class had ended for the day and everyone seemed to be in a positive mood. There had been a recent influx of missions for the girls of Hanzo academy lately, and today was the first day in some time that their teacher had informed them there was nothing for them on the agenda after class. It was a pleasant surprise for the girls, who had all been working especially hard lately. The holidays were coming up, and at least one member of their group was hoping that they would be able to manage to put together a decent break when the time came — a rarity for ninjas like themselves.<p>

The rest of her squad was talking amongst themselves about the days to come, likely planning what they could all do together to celebrate. Truth be told, most times, it was a conversation Ikaruga would love to take part in — anything to avoid thinking about awkward family gatherings that could potentially pop up at the last minute, as they had in the past. With the "Christmas present for Yomi" situation still having gone without resolution and the day approaching ever closer, though, Ikaruga could only drift back to that topic now that she had found herself with a moment of free time.

Should she make something? What would she make? What _could_ she make?

What if she used materials that could be construed as too expensive? Even if she made something herself, if the things she _used_ to make it were of an offending nature, then wouldn't it be just the same as if she had bought something expensive to begin with...?

And for that matter... If she gave anything "material" in the first place, wouldn't that be an insult to her...?

A heavy, painful feeling settled in Ikaruga's chest. Her eyes were downcast, her jaw set, and her lips firmly held in a frown. She hadn't even realized she was making this expression, but as though the weight inside of her was pulling her features downward, so downward her features went.

She... She just wanted to do something to make Yomi happy. Being able to do something for her, the person Ikaruga had come to realize she cared so much about, was important to her. Their getting together, given how the other shinobi felt about those from wealthy backgrounds, had been a trial and then miracle in itself, even with Ikaruga having been merely adopted into such a background.

Yet... If it was this difficult for her to come up with something as simple as a Christmas gift... No, if it was this difficult for her to come up with something, _anything,_ that would make Yomi happy... What right did she have being in a relationship with her...?

"... so I'll put on the hat and a nice red bikini, and you guys can be the reindeer! But instead of antlers, I'll make sure there's something _else_ nice to grab on to, heh heh heh..." Across the room, Katsuragi had just finished proposing yet another outrageous plan in the hopes of seeing her friends in some sort of scandalous Christmas-themed outfit or another, but reactions around the room seemed to be hesitant to or downright against the idea. The only person that didn't say anything one way or the other, of course, was Yomi, and it was normally at this point that the class president would raise protests. Needless to say, after a few moments of silence from her side of the room, the other girls began to realize something was amiss. "Uh... Hey... Is it me, or is this the part where she usually tells me off?"

Ikaruga, still wrapped up in her own thoughts, didn't even notice.

Asuka and Yagyu exchanged concerned looks. It wasn't like Ikaruga to act this way, that much was certain, but what could have possibly caused this change in her? They couldn't think of anything that had happened today that could have brought Ikaruga to such a state, but here she was. If anything, now that they had free time, wasn't that cause for relaxing? That seemed the most logical thing to the two of them... Katsuragi, meanwhile, was taking the more formal approach of waving her hands around and calling (soon "calling" turned into "moaning," given this was Katsuragi) the black haired girl's name in the hopes of getting her attention.

Amazingly, Ikaruga simply sighed. Whatever was on her mind was clearly all encompassing. In a way, the girls were actually rather impressed.

To the surprise of Katsuragi, Asuka, and even Yagyu, it was Hibari who, after having taken to silence herself for a few moments, spoke up with the answer to what was troubling their class president.

"She's thinking about what to get Yomi for Christmas, isn't she? I bet it's hard for her... She must really want it to be special." Considering how much time Hibari had spent with the Hebijo girls in the past, perhaps it was understandable that Hibari — or maybe it was simply that, innocent as she was, Hibari also had quite a lot of empathy as well, and maybe had known of Ikaruga's troubles for some time. She wouldn't get a chance to explain, because...

"Huh? What?"

... at the sound of Yomi's name, Ikaruga perked right up and looked around the room, trying to ascertain how her girlfriend had become part of whatever conversation her friends had been happening prior to her return to focus — unknowingly confirming what Hibari had suggested only a few moments prior had been exactly what had been on Ikaruga's mind. Or at least that, whatever it had been, it had involved Yomi.

"Well well _well_... I see how it is, I see how it is indeed!" Upon seeing this confirmation for her own eyes, Katsuragi erupted into a broad smile, that was more than a little lecherous — so, in other words, just one of her normal smiles. Hands outstretched and fingers wiggling suggestively, the blonde approached Ikaruga, who, while now paying attention, had no idea what was going on with her classmates at the moment. "Our little Ikaruga is growing up! We can't hog her to ourselves anymore — no, her chest is one we must learn to share! With a heavy heart, now, I must say goodbye!"

With the conversation having quickly approached a place she certainly wasn't appreciative of, Ikaruga frowned — if they had been talking about _Yomi's_ chest, then... Wait, that wasn't her primary concern here, Katsuragi was still getting closer- No, wait, what was Katsuragi going to do-

"S-Stop! I told you after last time, this isn't acceptab-" Using skills that Ikaruga wished Katsuragi would show more often in class, in to time at all, with speed those with their training could only even hope to match, the blonde shinobi had swiftly moved behind Ikaruga and made a cupping gesture with her hands... before actually doing some cupping... among some, welllll... other things. Naturally, Ikaruga's reaction to this show of affection was about as could be expected. "A-Aaah-! _Katsuragi...! Please...!_"

"Kat...!" While she was very glad that Ikaruga had snapped out of it, Katsuragi hadn't needed to go this far! Asuka stood up, a frown forming on her own face. True, Katsuragi had gotten them all like this, and she probably would again, but... "This isn't the time, is it? She's paying attention now."

Sighing in defeat, Katsuragi grinned, her expression losing its lewdness almost instantly. She hopped on up and left Ikaruga as quickly as she had approached her, offering a "thanks for the meal" to no one in particular, earning her a groan from Ikaruga, who was readjusting her clothes now that she was free of the experienced touch of Katsuragi. Her mission accomplished, raising a hand over her shoulder as if making a dramatic exit, she turned and headed back towards her seat.

"There's our class pres. I knew some of my tender, loving care would be just what she needed to snap out of it."

Hibari blinked, her mouth forming an "o" in wonder as she observed this all take place before her.

"I never knew Katsuragi's hands had that kind of power, Yagyu...!" The pink haired girl turned to the girl at her side, excitement and wonderment clear in her voice. "Maybe next time I get tired after training, I should ask her to-"

"No." Yagyu crossed her arms, shaking her head at the mere _idea_ of Hibari going to Katsuragi for such a thing. She rejected the notion flat out, to which Hibari offered a pout, but seemed otherwise not too bothered. Good. She didn't need to be giving Katsuragi that kind of an ego boost anyway.

Besides...

If Hibari was going to go to anyone for that, it should have been _her_...!

Across the room, Ikagura had recovered from from Katsuragi's "tender, loving care," and now she was just confused. Though she was sure she had heard Yomi's name brought up somehow, she didn't seem to have been missing any conversation about her, so... Why had she been mentioned then? She was obviously missing something, and as frustrating as it was to not know what was going on like this, it wasn't her place to ask — she had been ignoring her friends to begin with. It would be rude of her to ask that of them, wouldn't it?

At least... That was what she had initially thought. Ikaruga realized that all eyes were on her for some reason. Hibari and Yagyu's brief conversation had quickly puttered off, and now all four of her fellow Hanzo shinobi were simply staring at her, as if they were waiting. This... made her somewhat uncomfortable. What could they possibly be looking at her like that for? She waited patiently for some kind of explanation, but it looked as though she might just be waiting for some time at the rate her friends were going. Honestly, what was going on here?

In actuality, the quiet was not because they were waiting for _Ikaruga_, but for each other.

Katsuragi felt she had already done what she needed to do, and would step in once the ball got rolling.

Yagyu had nothing to say in regards to the matter one way or the other, and unless Hibari suddenly became incredibly invested in the matter, she probably wouldn't.

Hibari, (little did Yagyu know) for her part, actually found the whole thing _adorable_, and had had more than a few conversations with Haruka about how cute Ikagura and Yomi were together, and was wondering if it would be unfair of her to try to help.

With the room stuck in a sudden and unexpected deadlock like this, Asuka soon realized that it was up to her to start the ball rolling — if they didn't, Ikaruga would zone out again, and then _she_ might have to be the one to love Ikaruga tenderly to snap her out of it if it got to that!

"So, um..." Oh! Now everyone was looking at Asuka. That actually made her feel a little more confident — nervous too, but she could deal with them together. "Ikaruga...? If you're having a problem, any problem at all, you know you can talk to us about it, right? I know we're not as, um... _Experienced_ as you are, but maybe we might be able to help...?"

Asuka had just been trying to be polite.

Asuka had just been trying to spare her friends' feelings.

She, Katsuragi, Yagyu, and Hibari weren't in any relationships — at least not that she knew of. She had figured calling Ikaruga's being in one "experience" was the best and most mature way she could have possibly addressed that topic, one that wouldn't have rubbed anyone's lack of a relationship in their own faces. Ikaruga was so lucky to have found someone, after all, but it _because_ it was so lucky, it might have been a sensitive subject...!

"What's this? Ikaruga is... _experienced_, Asuka?" Katsuragi was grinning broadly. Her eyes were lit up and it looked as though electricity was running through her body — an electricity by the name of innuendo. "Tell me, Katsuragi! Just how _experienced_ are you? Spare us no details! We're big girls! We can take it!"

"I-I... K-Katsuragi, how _dare_..."

"W-Wait, Kat, I didn't mean- Ikaruga, no, wait, you don't need to take out your sword-"

"Oho, a fight over your lady's honor, is it? I like, no, I love it! Let's do it, Ikaruga!"

In the end, while Ikaruga was at least given a reprieve from her worries, it did her situation no good in the long run. She was still no closer to figuring out what she could give to Yomi for Christmas, and it looked like, unfortunately, her friends at Hanzo just wouldn't be able to help much with that situation — though even so, she wouldn't change them for anything. ... Probably.

And thus, with all of her normal options exhausted, Ikaruga realized she was left with no choice but to look beyond her usual sources of aid — and so that was how she found herself approaching the current hideout of Homura's squad to seek advice...

... on what kind of Christmas gift would be most appropriate for her girlfriend.

* * *

><p>Ikaruga knew her girlfriend's habits well enough to know when Yomi typically visited the area of the city where she was raised — the slums. Occasionally, Ikaruga would accompany, assuming the guise of her masked alter-ego, and they would entertain the children there together. Other times, she would make Yomi a boxed lunch to have and share with the others who lived there — hand making it all herself with food from the hundred yen store so that Yomi wouldn't have problems eating or sharing it with any of the others there.<p>

Today, however, Ikaruga used this information for other means. Rather than using it to pack a lunch or go along for the ride, today, Ikaruga was using it to go visit her girlfriend's comrades without the girl in question knowing. Was this a bit sneaky? Perhaps. Was it rapidly looking as though it was a last resort option that she had no other choice but to take? Definitely.

It wasn't the most glorious compound. Homura's group moved around from time to time, and Ikaruga was one of the few that always seemed to end up aware of the new base's location. It wasn't as though Yomi told her — it was like a strange game between them, seeing how long it would take Ikaruga to discover Homura's squad had moved on — to discover _Yomi_ had moved on — and from there, how long it would it would take to find the new location. There were probably more enjoyable games for couples in the peak of their youth to play, but for shinobi, this one that they had started accidentally playing had somehow become enjoyable enough.

As she found herself sneaking into the newest place for the second time since the move, Ikaruga had to admit... She was getting pretty good at it, too.

"Ikaruga...? Yomi isn't here."

Normally, the Hanzo shinobi might have been disappointed that her attempt at infiltration had failed so easily, but she hadn't been trying particularly hard to hide her presence today. No, she'd as good as walked into the front door — though she had to admit, in a strange sort of way, it was nice that her coming and . A girlish part of her, a part of her that she kept silent in the face of her lifestyle as a servant of justice, secretly wished she could take Yomi around like that, that Yomi could be as welcome inthe places _she_ frequented like it was natural. Deep down, she wanted peoples' natural thought to be "if Ikaruga goes to this place, even if she isn't here at the same time, Yomi can come and go too," essentially...

"I'm actually here to see you this afternoon, Hikage. All of you, if you aren't busy with anything." Setting those thoughts aside, Ikaruga offered Hikage a cordial smile. It would do her no good to dwell on such things, for reasons that she knew all too well. The world just wasn't that nice. As a shinobi, and one with her particular background at that, she understood it better than most people ever would — as someone in an intimate relationship with a former Hebijo, however, she knew she had only scratched the surface of what the world was like.

The green haired girl tilted her head slightly, and Ikaruga wondered for a moment if that was all she was going to get out of the so-called "emotionless" ninja. It might have been easier if she had stumbled upon someone like Haruka or Homura first, as they were at least sociable when they caught Ikaruga sneaking in for Yomi, but this might be...

"Do you need us all at once?" Now it was Ikaruga's turn to tilt her head, blinking dumbly at Hikage's surprisingly straightforward question — then again, it _was_ Hikage. Her being straightforward should never really be _that_ surprising, now should it? "I can get them for you. We're all _here_, but we're not all..."

Hikage followed her words, unfinished sentence and all, with a simple shrug, her gaze aimed pointedly around the room. The implication was fairly clear now — everyone else was present in their current area, but Hikage didn't know where. That was fine. It might not be safe (for Ikaruga's sanity) to try to have this conversation with all four of them at once, even if it would save her as far as time.

After a moment more of considering the pros and cons, the black haired shinobi smiled at the girl, shaking her head. Yes, this was perfect.

"One at a time works just as well, and I wouldn't want to be an inconvenience to any of you. This probably won't take very long anyway." With that said, the problem now was how to actually _address_ this question. Should she just blurt it out? For Hikage, that was probably the best way — though did it matter what way she did it? Maybe it was good Hikage had been the first person she found, she could use this as a trial run. "It's... Well, um... It's about Yomi."

Hikage stared at Ikagura dully.

"Isn't that obvious?" She shook her head, sighing lazily and reaching up to scratch her head. Ikaruga might have said Hikage looked bored, or even annoyed, but according to her, she couldn't feel either of those things. "If you wanted to see us about something else, you could have shown up with Yomi was around. You would have made a point to, like when you delivered that message for Homura a few weeks ago. You're a lot easier to read than Katsuragi, Ikaruga..."

Ikaruga couldn't help but look away, her cheeks starting to flush as she recalled the incident in question. Asuka's grandfather, the legendary Hanzo, had been having a special at his restaurant, and Asuka, naturally, wanted to treat Homura... but seeing a chance, Ikaruga had managed to get Asuka to let _her_ deliver that message so she could have an excuse to see Yomi. I-It wasn't as though she had neglected her duties in delivering the message, though! In fact, she had even had a pleasant conversation with Homura before she'd even gone to see Yomi, so...!

The increasingly flustered Hanzo shinobi's thoughts were interrupted by a bored sounding voice.

"Hey, if you're just going to stand there, I'm going to leave." Despite her words, the shinobi didn't look like she was really in any particular rush to go anywhere. She hadn't moved very far from where she'd been when Ikaruga had entered, and if the girl had to guess, she'd probably stay there once Ikaruga left too.

Well, that wasn't really very important right now, was it? She just had to ask her question and see what happened. What happened would happen and that would be the end of it. So... Here goes nothing...!

"You see, the thing is..." Ikaruga fought the urge to bow her head. She knew she'd just look ridiculous if she did that, and Katsuragi would scold her for leaving her neck exposed to Hikage. Even if the shinobi wouldn't do anything with it, it was still a stupid thing to do. "I'm... having trouble figuring out what I can give Yomi for Christmas. It's got to be something special, but, well, you know how Yomi is, and I know how she is too, and-"

The green haired girl stared. Her expression plainly said "This is it? Seriously?" to Ikaruga. Was this really that underwhelming a problem...? No, no, it just had to be because Hikage wasn't the sort of person who understood these things, that was all. This... This was a very big deal! It was!

"Wouldn't bean sprouts be fine?"

Ikaruga blinked.

"C... Come again?"

"Wouldn't bean sprouts be fine?" Still sounding as bored as ever, Hikage shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "That's the only thing she seems to like particularly much that you can give her. Unless you want to cut off a finger or something."

Ikaruga wasn't sure which suggestion she liked less. Should she appreciate the compliment that Hikage recognized she was something Yomi liked, or be concerned that that train of thought led Hikage to suggesting Ikaruga literally body parts to her girlfriend?

"Yeah, I just don't get this stuff..." Apparently registering something from whatever reaction Ikaruga was giving her, Hikage sighed, before motioning in a direction deeper in. "Haruka's that way. She likes people... I think. I don't really know." Hikage followed this remark with a shrug. "I do know she's making Mirai dress up as our Christmas tree whether she wants to or not, so she must like Christmas at least. She'll probably have a good idea. Go ask her."

Surprised at this turn in conversation, Ikaruga nodded slowly as she made her way in the direction Hikage had indicated. Was that... consideration? From Hikage? Even if it was just to make sure Yomi, her friend, got something nice, it was still something Ikaruga was glad to have witnessed... if that had actually been what she had witnessed in the first place, anyway.

Whatever it was, there was no point dwelling on it much more now. Hopefully- No, _surely_ Haruka would be able to help her decide what she should give Yomi...! The other shinobi may have had strange tastes, but certainly, those didn't extend to gift giving as well, did they?

"How sweet... If you'd like, I could make a puppet for you to give her. It would look _just_ like you... Myyyyy... I wonder, what_ever_ would she do with it? Shall I add a camera for you?" ... or so Ikaruga had wanted to think, anyway, but with this as Haruka's immediate response to her question, it looked like not even Christmas was safe from her. Having given her none too innocent suggestion, the girl in question winked suggestively. "You could watch whenever you'd like."

Furiously shaking her head, a shameful crimson stain gracing her cheeks, Ikaruga could only back away before Haruka got started on the puppet whether she liked it or not. Laughing, the young woman simply pointed Ikaruga in Mirai's direction, a direction that Ikaruga was very thankful to be able to dash off in. Thinking a bit more on it now that she was already going this way, Ikaruga supposed if there was anyone who knew what it was like to not get what they wanted for the holiday, it had to be her, right?

"Hmph! I-If you really cared, you would _know _what to get her, right?" ... except it turned out Mirai's personal desire of wanting Yomi to stay with the rest of their team for the whole day — in other words, not spend any time at all with Ikaruga — took precedence. Ikaruga might have found the girl's attempt at concealing her jealousy endearing if not for the fact that it didn't help her any. Seeing the Hanzo shinobi's downcast expression seemed to at least awaken some guilt in Mirai, for the "Ugh... Look, I don't know know what _I_ should get her, okay!? So I can't be helping anyone else... Go ask Homura or something."

In the end, Ikaruga decided to find the girl's attitude endearing after all. After how the previous two encounters with ex-Hebijo shinobi had gone, she was glad she could leave this one with a smile on her face in search of the last member of their team, and its leader — Homura.

She just wished Mirai could have told her where Homura _was_.

It didn't matter, she supposed. She was a shinobi. She was the class president at that. Certainly, she should be able to track down _one_ person... Shouldn't she?

Just down that corner... Or maybe that one? No, it had to be _that_ one... Oh, that crevice! ... No, not there either... This was supposed to be easy! Had she underestimated Homura?

"This is... proving to be a little more difficult than I had first thought." It seemed she had.

After a few more minutes of aimless wandering, Ikaruga considered going back to ask Hikage where Homura might be (Haruka was out of the question and she had decided leaving Mirai was for the best), but it occurred to her she no longer even knew where she was. This was a much larger compound than the last place Yomi and the others had made camp, and she had to admit, it made for a great hideaway for runaways. They would be able to escape any pursuers from Hebijo with ease should they need to... Unfortunately, it wasn't doing _her_ any good right now at all.

Ikaruga pursed her lips. She had struck out three times out of the four. That meant that Homura was her last chance to get something useful out of Yomi's allies, and at this point, Ikaruga would take whatever she could. It was unfortunate, but at this point, Mirai's words now really did ring true. Hesitantly, she raised her hand to the cool wall and gently pressed her hand against it. Perhaps she _should_ just go with bean sprouts...? Certainly, at least that wouldn't _offend_ Yomi, but...

As she stood there, her eyes turned away from her fruitless search for the first time since it began, Ikaruga noticed something in her peripheral vision. Throughout her entire search, from the moment she left Mirai, she hadn't once turned around — taken in by the size of this area and overcome with the hope that Homura would have just the answer she sought, it hadn't even crossed her mind.

Only one thing could possibly cross her mind _now_, however.

"I'm... a failure as a shinobi." Ikaruga hung her head, a guilty, shameful look on her face.

Merry laughter erupted behind her.

It was coming from the person that had been tailing Ikaruga the entire time.

"Don't worry about it! Mirai got lost the first few times too. Still... You know I could've gutted you if I'd wanted, right?" Homura grinned cheerily as she approached Ikaruga, paying no mind to the girl's expression taking a turn for an even more shame filled one. Softening her own expression, the tanned girl raised a hand to clasp Ikaruga's shoulder instead. "Don't worry, I wouldn't — I was tailing you in case you wandered into a trap. Yomi'd gut _me_ if I let something happen to you while she was out. So? What's up? You must really be distracted to not have noticed me."

Raising her head and offering a somewhat sheepish look to the ex-Hebijo shinobi, Ikaruga found herself smiling. It was strange. This person had been her enemy, and now... What was she? She and Asuka fought so often that if a new scratch or bruise showed up with no reason on the younger girl, at this point Ikaruga just assumed it was Homura's doing — yet it was certainly possible something could change someday and they might need to be serious again, wasn't it?

Perhaps these ruminations were best left for another day — or perhaps the reason they only popped up now and in the first place was because she was trying to distract herself from the issue at hand. With that taken into consideration, Ikaruga set them aside. It would do no good to think about what wasn't. She needed to think only about what _was_.

"Well... It's about Yomi..." Clearing her thought, Ikaruga put on a more serious expression, if nothing else in the hopes that she could approach this topic with the sense of seriousness and decency that she so believed it deserved. "I need to talk to you about her. I've spoken to Hikage, Haruka, and Mirai already, but..."

This caught Homura's attention. It seemed like she either had no idea why Ikaruga was here, or at least, she hadn't expected it to be for this reason... And to tell the truth? Ikaruga was more relieved than she would ever let on to see that Homura was reacting with genuine surprise — like this wasn't expected. She didn't know if she could handle going through that again. Not to say that Homura and Hikage were so similar that that was that likely of a possibility in the first place, but... Still...

"That explains what's up with you well enough, then." Nodding to herself as she processed the information, Homura relaxed her stance and crossed her arms. Her lips formed a smirk... one Ikaruga wondered for a brief moment if she could trust. Homura was Yomi's leader, and though they'd come at odds before when the subject of friendships and other such things with other groups had come up, they had worked it out — worked it out and then some, in fact. She wondered how Homura was feeling right now, to be looking at her like that. Obviously Homura would be protective of her teammates, but... "I'm guessing she's not in any danger, right? I really will gut you if you've been dancing around her being hurt."

A-Ah! So that smirk _was..._ Ikaruga had been right to be cautious after all...!

"N-No, Yomi is fine! At least as far as I'm aware, but..." Having been taken off guard by the remark by Homura, Ikaruga had momentarily lost her cool. Having gotten the answer she was hoping for (that Yomi was in no danger), Homura lowered her arms to her sides, her smirk softening... somewhat. "It's nothing that serious... At least for you. For me, it's very important, and..."

Now or never, Ikaruga.

"Do you have any... That is to say, I... What do you think Yomi would like for Christmas...?"

Homura blinked.

She looked like she'd been punched — as if the question was the last one she would have expected to come from Ikaruga's lips. And then...?

"Hahaha! Don't worry about it! She hasn't killed you yet even though you're filthy rich, so you probably can't screw up now, right?" She burst out laughing, slapping Ikaruga on the back like they were suddenly old friends. Had Ikaruga's serious attitude over a gift for one of Homura's comrades lowered a bridge between them, perhaps? "You're thinking too hard about it. Seriously, I was getting worried you were gonna say you wanted to break up with her... A Christmas present? Hahahaha! You're funny."

If it _had_ lowered such a bridge, Ikaruga would never know, probably. In any case, that turned out to be the best answer she was going to get from Homura — it seemed the girl just found the whole thing delightfully amusing, the only other comment of worth coming from her being "good luck!" as she turned around to go find Haruka, as if she just had to share this funny story with her.

Watching her go, Ikaruga couldn't help but feel like she had missed the joke.

"So much for this 'reconnaissance mission' then..."

In the end, as it turned out, talking to those who fought alongside and lived with the object of Ikaruga's affections hadn't brought her any closer to finding the answer that she had so hoped to find with them. In fact, if anything, after talking to all of those girls, she felt even _more_ conflicted about what course of action she could take here.

It wasn't like she could just give Yomi _nothing_... was it...?

* * *

><p>Christmas was here. Bells were jingling to and fro all over the city. Happy people were all over, reveling in their joy and cheer and whatever else they were reveling in. Katsuragi had given Ikaruga a few suggestions as to what <em>she<em> could revel in ("Yomi's boobs! Yomi's boooooobssss...! Revel in theeemmm-Hey! Let me go, Asuka, I have to tell her _how_ to revel in them now!") when Ikaruga had been leaving to go to the designated meeting place, but Ikaruga had chosen to ignore the comments. I-It wasn't like she didn't appreciate them or anything, she just wasn't an _animal_ about it... Honestly, Katsuragi, this was her girlfriend they were talking about here...!

Having left her teammates behind, at the moment, the Hanzo shinobi's mind was solely on the girl that she would be meeting in just a little while. Ikaruga had in fact come up with something to give Yomi. She had absolutely no idea how it would go over, but if there was anything she could give, then that was it. She couldn't say she was particularly confident with the choice, but she was happy with it. If nothing else, there wasn't anything she'd rather give the other girl, and that had to mean something, right?

Ikaruga hoped so. She'd know soon enough, in any case.

Sighing, she glanced up towards a nearby mounted clock as she waited for the crosswalk's light to change. It would have been no trouble for her to get to where she needed to go if she had used a little extra ability to get there, but... It was their first Christmas together. Neither of them had had particularly normal lives and going forward, neither of them _would_ have particularly normal lives — Ikaruga, silly as it was, wanted to have a "normal" Christmas, at least this once, with Yomi. She had always heard about them, so would it be so wrong to enjoy that with her together?

As the light changed, Ikaruga's eyes lit up. She was almost there. She was almost to Yomi. Despite her desire for normalcy, with no more stoplights or crosswalks between her and the object of her worries for the past month, she couldn't help but quicken her pace. It wasn't anything superhuman, just... faster than probably seemed appropriate for a teenage girl walking down a city street in the middle of the afternoon. Nothing too strange about that, nor the smile that was forming on her face, nor the fact that she was so intent on rounding the upcoming corner, she didn't see the blonde girl coming around it at the exact same-

"Kyaa!" Two voices rang out as two bodies fell to the ground in unison, having spectacularly failed their unexpected attempt at symmetrical docking and instead colliding and knocking each other away.

For a moment, the two girls who had crashed into each other were silent. A few passing onlookers raised eyebrows — what a treat it was, seeing such pretty girls in one location! — but said nothing more. Green eyes met blue ones, before the owner of the blue shyly looked away.

"Ikaruga...! I was just coming to meet you." Yomi smiled warmly, standing up first and offering the fallen girl on the ground her hand. Her other hand held a basket, retrieved from the ground after it had fallen — worn and tattered, but clearly having been cared for for years. Returning the girl's smile, Ikaruga took Yomi's hand and allowed herself to be pulled up, something she never would have allowed from the former Hebijo once upon a time. Now, though... "I know it's early, but I just..."

Still smiling, albeit rather demurely, certainly much more shyly compared to Yomi, Ikaruga shook her head. Something inside her stomach was flipping and flopping around as she realized Yomi was as eager to see her as she had been to see Yomi.

"Me as well." Ikaruga put some strength into her smile, and rather than letting go of Yomi's hand now that she was standing, she instead gave it an affectionate squeeze, which earned her a giggle in response. Yomi too must have been enjoying the knowledge that Ikaruga was happy to see her — not that it should have come as any sort of surprise, but... It certainly was true. A person only got one first Christmas like this, and both of their hearts seemed to be all aflutter about the matter. Who knew they ever had it in them?

"No sense standing around. Let's go." Ikaruga took a deep breath. She didn't know how soon the gift exchange would come, but the moment she had been preparing for was finally upon her. She turned towards the direction that Yomi had come from. Just that way was an alley that led to an open lot. It wasn't something many would consider the most romantic location in the world, or even a romantic location _at all_, but somehow, Ikaruga was looking forward to it more than she had ever looked forward to the fanciful Christmas dinners with her adopted family.

Simply making an "mmhmm!" sort of noise of agreement, with her other hand firmly holding her basket, Yomi let go of Ikaruga's hand to loop her arm around the other girl's. Finding the gesture sweet, with a light flush spreading across her cheeks as she enjoyed the feeling of the obviously romantic move, Ikaruga turned to look to her side to see her girlfriend's expression. Would she be looking at Ikaruga expectantly? Maybe Yomi would be focused on getting to the open lot. Ikaruga didn't know what to expect, but she knew Yomi's expression would just... It would be something just _right_, something perfect to fit the mood of a couple walking down the street on Christmas day, and so with that in mind, Ikaruga took in her girlfriend's expression in hopeful earnest...

... only to realize Yomi was staring not at her, but pointedly at both the young men and women around them, who Ikaruga was suddenly becoming painfully aware had been looking at the two of them — Yomi apparently had been very aware. In fact, she might have been aware the entire time. And Yomi's triumphant, almost _possessive_... no, not almost, _extremely_ possessive expression, complete with an all too appropriate smile, said it all.

_**THIS IS MINE**_

_**YOU CAN'T HAVE IT**_

Ikaruga looked downward, feeling as though her entire face had been lit on fire. Her heart was pounding and she just knew she was probably bright red from head to toe — if she wasn't, she certainly _felt_ like she was. At least... At least if she could say one thing about the expression her girlfriend had been making there, then it... It was certainly just right for a Christmas with Yomi, at least. All things considered... Ikaruga didn't dislike it.

She swallowed, her heart starting to return to its normal pace as they rounded a corner and began proceeding down the alley towards the open lot they had picked out. Now out of sight of wandering eyes, Yomi's expression had returned to normal, and she was leaning her head against Ikaruga's shoulder. Normally, this would have Ikaruga's stomach doing cartwheels, but she was still a bit distracted by the expression Yomi had made... and her timely and appropriate reaction to it.

Did this make her the "Ryona" in their relationship, so to speak? Or was she the "Miyabi," with Yomi the "Imu"...?

Ikaruga swallowed again, setting those thoughts to the side. For one thing, any more of them, and she might start wondering what all of _them_ were doing for Christmas, and she didn't even want to know — or bother — when she had much more important things to think about right now...

"Ikaruga...?" It was at this moment that Yomi spoke up, glancing up from her oh so very close spot at Ikaruga's shoulder. Her eyes shone with a light concern, confusion evident in her voice. "That's the second time you've swallowed in a minute. Is something the matter?"

"Oh, I was just..." Ikaruga paused, wondering, what _was_ she 'just' doing? Her mind wandering like that was downright rude, and before that...

Katsuragi's voice rang true in the back of Ikaruga's mind.

The blonde girl may not have been completely right, but... Ikaruga really had — sort of — been reveling in Yomi there, hadn't she?

Darn it, she was blushing again.

"N-Nothing. I was just glad to be here with you." Averting her gaze, Ikaruga did her best to not let too much slip. It wasn't that she was ashamed of how she felt or anything of the sort, of course, but simply that, well... For the safety of anyone that might look at them down the road, it might be better to not give Yomi any ideas right now. Besides, there was something much more pertinent to be said to that question. Clearing her throat, Ikaruga turned and put on her most honest expression. "Why would anything be wrong when I'm getting to spend Christmas with you?"

Yomi blinked.

That... was certainly not the intended effect.

Yomi pursed her lips.

That-That was definitely not the intended effect!

Yomi seemed to be trying very hard to not open her mouth.

That-

Yomi started to laugh.

"O-Oh _Ikaruga_!" Yanking the other girl close, Yomi hugged the arm she was holding hostage tightly. Her giggles probably weren't what Ikaruga had been wanting to hear after she had such a "romantic" line, but Yomi just couldn't help herself! The only image that was brought to mind upon hearing it was Ikaruga stepping out of a diamond carriage, with wads of money fluttering about like flower petals — the picturesque hero of a fairy tale (of _some_ kind of fairy tale), in other words. "You really can be such a _princess_ sometimes, you know that?"

Alarmed at the nickname, Ikaruga's eyes shot open wide. Under normal circumstances, Yomi might bring this up to tease Ikaruga — they had worked past that particular gap quite some time ago, but to Ikaruga, who had been all too sensitive about her position recently, could only find her worries returning in full with this accidental reminder of it all.

"I... I'm- That is-" For a moment, Ikaruga felt unworthy. Her words caught in her throat as she tried to process them all, tried to figure out what she could possibly say — how she could explain that it wasn't pity she was feeling should she be called out on it should things turn sour... But Yomi stopped her. A simple look was all it took for those feelings to be put to rest. Yomi, either in tune enough with Ikaruga to know what was going on in her mind right then or just having impeccable timing, looked at the other girl and just smiled. Defeated by that look, Ikaruga sighed — a calm feeling washing over her. "I... suppose I can't help it sometimes."

"You don't need to worry so much about it. I'm not going to change my mind about you now." ... Ah. She _had_ been able to tell what Ikaruga was thinking, then. Ikaruga averted her gaze as the pair came to a stop in front of the open lot, but Yomi made a point to pull back, which in turn led to Ikaruga looking at her, almost entirely out of instinct. "I know everything I need to know about you, you know. Your situation won't change anything, especially not now that we're together. That doesn't mean I won't find it funny, though. You're just so..."

As the girl tried to stop herself from giggling again — Ikaruga could only imagine what sort of mental images were flashing through Yomi's mind right now — Ikaruga smiled wryly. Had she done all that worrying for nothing? ... No, even if Yomi was sure about this, presents were very much something that were impossibly tied to one's financial status. With Yomi, Ikaruga dared not risk it. Yomi was worth the potential over-thought on her part.

What's more? Even if she _had_ been over-thinking the whole thing, as Homura had suggested to her, it didn't matter now. She really did like what she had chosen to give the other girl.

Shaking her head, Ikaruga looked around. The open lot didn't have much, but it did have all they needed. Table, chairs, blankets, and a Christmas tree the two had put together a few days earlier. There had been some concern over it getting stolen, but Yomi had eventually assured Yomi no harm would come to it — apparently she had been able to stay true to that promise. Ikaruga certainly couldn't complain. However... It didn't look like there was anything else there besides what had already been prepared. Unless food was in the basket Yomi had been carrying, Ikaruga wasn't sure what Yomi intended for them to-

"Okay! Now that we're here... Let's start with the presents!"

With great difficulty, Ikaruga fought off the urge her jaw was having to fall open then and there.

This was already happening? They were starting off right here, right now? No food or talking or any of that?

While Ikaruga was standing there like a deer caught in the headlights, Yomi had completely detached herself and began trotting on over towards the Christmas tree, her basket swinging along with her as she started to hum. She looked almost like a child in that instant.

It occurred to Ikaruga that when the two of them had decided on trying to keep this "normal," while Ikaruga had been thinking about it from the "normal" perspective of a couple... Could Yomi have been...?

Could Yomi have been hoping for the "normal" kind of Christmas children expected growing up...? The kind that _neither_ of them had ever really had much of...?

Looking at the girl in question now, all signs certainly seemed to point to that being the case. This innocent side of Yomi was certainly one she had never disliked before, and it wouldn't be becoming for her to start now. And if Ikaruga wasn't sure of whether or not Yomi felt this was...

"Come here, Ikaruga! Hurry! Open mine!" The downright _childlike_ excitement in Yomi's voice was all the evidence Ikaruga needed to be sure.

"Coming...!" Calling after her girlfriend, Ikaruga began making her way over. For some reason, Yomi's reaction to the situation had dispelled some of her nervousness. The fact that Yomi was going first was something of a marvel in itself, on the other hand — Ikaruga didn't really want anything from Yomi, though she wouldn't be so disrespectful as to say so. Getting to spend time with her was all she could have asked for from her. After all the hurdles they had overcome to get to this point, could she really ask for more? Despite herself, Ikaruga found her true feelings starting to slip out. "You really didn't have to, Yomi..."

Unfortunately, Ikaruga found her feelings changing somewhat as Yomi took out her gift from the basket she had been carrying and set it down on the ground underneath the Christmas tree.

For there, wrapped in makeshift ribbons and a little bow to top it all off... were bean sprouts.

But not just _any_ bean sprouts — oh no no no. This was much more than a simple bundle of bean sprouts.

Bean sprouts that were somehow all stuck together in a shape.

Bean sprouts all stuck together in the shape of Ikaruga and Yomi.

Was this... art...? Or could this be the reason that there wasn't sign of food anywhere else around? Ikaruga was getting a sneaking suspicion that that was what Yomi was intending, but... Where they really meant to... _eat each other_? Ikaruga didn't mind the gift, but that was a rather morbid idea, wasn't it? She would have been fine with a bag of the things if that was what Yomi wanted to give her... She supposed a part of it was the fact that it _was_ the two of them, then again. It certainly did look like it had taken a lot of work, giving it a more appreciative look now that the surprise had faded.

"For dinner." Yomi explained, as if Ikaruga's silence had left a question in the air that she had already suspected the answer to. Now that she had it, Ikaruga could only smile ruefully. Yomi really was something else... Even so, she was something Ikaruga was glad to have in her life all the same. Unaware of Ikaruga's thoughts, Yomi turned to her girlfriend, a proud smile on her face. "I worked very hard on it! Do you like it, Ikaruga? There's something extra special inside of them too."

"Of course." Straightening herself, Ikaruga returned Yomi's smile with one of her own. She had to admit, she had half-expected they would end up eating bean sprouts anyway. While Yomi didn't mind getting to eat food when cost was a non-issue, if it were Ikaruga paying... Well, Ikaruga had luck about half the time as far as their sparse dates had been concerned so far. "I'd like anything you gave me, Yomi. I can tell how much work you put into these, so... I'll be sure to enjoy them."

The fact that Ikaruga had explicitly said she would enjoy them got an extra appreciative flying hug out of Yomi in response, one which Ikaruga made an attempt to return, but, in her being so flustered, ended up missing her chance. After giving Ikaruga an affectionate peck on the cheek, Yomi merrily detached herself from Ikaruga and pulled over one of the chairs from the table they had gotten over, sitting down in it expectantly. It took Ikaruga a moment to catch on to it, but Yomi almost seemed to be waiting for something...

"Oh!"

Ikaruga could have slapped herself.

It was time. Of course it was time! That was how gift exchanges went, wasn't it? When one gift was given, once it was received, the next gift was given in turn. Since she was the only person here, that meant, obviously, that it was her turn next. It was the moment of truth. The moment she had been waiting for. The moment she...

Yomi continued to smile at her. A Christmas tune was being hummed under her breath — it was a song she had heard all her life, but it had only ever filled her with bitterness and frustration before. Before, she would laugh and make snide comments about the people who sang the songs. She couldn't afford to waste the energy — and more importantly, when she had been a little girl, Santa Claus never visited the slums. He'd only started after she'd gotten old enough to take over the job for him.

And yet... For some reason... No, for reasons she understood quite well, reasons with black hair and inviting eyes and a bust that was worth ripping up clothes she could be selling to get a glimpse of, getting to spend this day with Ikaruga had given those songs that had filled her with resentment once upon a time a very different meaning to her now.

"I... Could you close your eyes first, Yomi? I don't want you to see it until I put it under the tree." Apparently, Ikaruga was getting into the spirit of things too! Yomi beamed at that sight, and obediently closed her eyes, her smile widening as she imagined Ikaruga's heart fluttering along with her obviously nervous footsteps. She couldn't help but be curious, and even a little excited, despite her rather... well, what some might call "warped" expectations.

Considering this _was_ the "princess" she was dealing with, Yomi had known all along that the present Ikaruga gave her might be one that, once, would have had her ripping out her sword and going for the other girl's head. She'd purposely left it at home just in case, as a matter of fact — though she also found the idea of leaving her fate in Ikaruga's hands thrilling... not to mention she had _many _other ways of defending herself, even with her eyes closed as they were now.

"O-Okay, Yomi. Open up... It's right in front of the tree here."

When she did as she was told and looked under the tree, however, Ikaruga hadn't put anything in front of their makeshift tree. She simply sat in front of it, looking up awkwardly at Yomi like she wasn't sure what to do or to say. Yomi didn't understand. True, she had known from the start that no matter what Ikaruga got her, it probably would have been something better off sold to give money to all the starving people living in the slums, and it might have even been something so flashy she would have really needed to restrain herself from getting angry... But she hadn't expected _nothing_. For her, she knew from the very beginning, the phrase "it's the thought that counts" was perhaps the best, if only, response she probably would have been able to give.

Somehow... This wasn't...

Did it actually bother her that Ikaruga hadn't bothered? She knew she should have felt like such a result was expected, but for some reason, even if Ikaruga had given her bean sprouts as well — or perhaps _especially_ then — at least she could be pleased knowing she had been in the other girl's mind. This was supposed to be normal, was it not? So for Ikaruga to...

For a brief moment, a horrible, sinking feeling settled into Yomi's stomach. Was there really that much of a difference between them...? Had she been right before, and wrong earlier when she had spoken to Ikaruga...?

"Do you... not have a present for me...?" Yomi's voice was quiet as the words slipped out. Childlike, even. It wasn't the voice of an ungrateful child — it was like the voice of a younger child, an almost scared one who was faced with something that they simply couldn't comprehend.

"I... I do." Ikaruga looked down nervously. This was going well already, now wasn't it? Unsure of how best to convey it, she looked around helplessly, as if looking for help — for someone to come in and... give Yomi a present on her behalf? That was the only thing that made sense to Yomi... at least until Ikaruga's eyes widened with inspiration, and she quickly reached for the bow that had been on Yomi's gift to her. Maybe if she had _that_, she could...! Yes, _this_ would work...! "Um... H-Here, Yomi. This is your gift. All of it."

Yomi stared.

Ikaruga had put the bow on her own head.

Ikaruga, with a blush as bright as the clothes on old Santa Claus' back and her arms placed solemnly in her lap, had put the bow on _herself_.

"I thought for a long time about what I could give you. I wanted it to be something that could make you happy." Ikaruga closed her eyes. Could she not bear to face Yomi right now...? Or could she not bear to face the possible rejection of this "gift"? "I know you too, Yomi. I-I would like to think I do, at least. So I thought and thought and thought... And I decided that there was only one thing I was positive could make you happy — because I would be able to make sure it did."

As she watched this, Yomi realized she suddenly was finding it incredibly difficult to breathe as Ikaruga raised her head to look at her, a warm, embarrassed smile on her face.

"Your gift is, well..." The shinobi held her arms up, her smile taking a turn for the sheepish. "It's me."

Context was probably necessary. Could Yomi take Ikaruga home? Could she cuddle with her every night and eat breakfast with her in the morning? No, probably not. Was this a marriage proposal? Was Ikaruga swearing eternal love and loyalty? Chances were very likely not at all.

The context didn't matter. It didn't matter one single bit. Ikaruga herself probably hadn't fully thought of context — she didn't need to. She — the gift she was willingly giving to Yomi — would be there to give more when necessary.

And whatever the context _was_, Yomi was still speechless. For someone whose only Christmases had previously been the hectic, violent ones with the Hebijo, and then only one with Homura's group — one this morning to be precise — this gesture was unlike anything she had ever experienced before in all of her life. Before those... There really hadn't been much of anything. Certainly nothing like this. What's more, she had it on good authority that Ikaruga had probably never been given something of this magnitude either, unless her family happened to be in the slave trade, but Yomi sincerely doubted anything like that... even if she had once fantasized the opposite about those types of rich people.

Simply put, she didn't know what to say. She couldn't even manage to say as much.

Her face lowered as a stream of tears — had she really allowed herself to get so _emotional_ over this...? — began to trickle out of her eyes, Yomi stood up and made her way over to Ikaruga. She was silent as she did this. Yomi wasn't sure she could trust her mouth right now to convey how she felt about this. The other shinobi was more than taken aback by this point, though she could only manage to watch as Yomi quietly took the bow off of Ikaruga's head, much to the black haired shinobi's confusion. That was fine. Yomi was about to clear that confusion right up.

Then she put it on her own head.

"T-There. Now... Now you can have me too."

With her own message made clear, Yomi promptly opened her arms and hugged Ikaruga. She took the Hanzo shinobi off guard for a moment, but Ikaruga made a quick recovery when she realized her girlfriend was holding her so intimately — and so without a moment more of hesitation, she returned the embrace.

It was certainly an odd scene. Two young women, standing there silently in an open lot next to a shoddy Christmas tree, one with a bow on her head... But it had a tremendous amount of significance for the two of them, and for them, that was all that mattered. If there happened to be any onlookers and they happened to not understand, that just wasn't their concern — the only thing that concerned them now was the other person in their arms.

They stood there like that for a few moments — Yomi getting herself composed again and Ikaruga simply feeling glad that it had all seemed to have worked out, and the both of them enjoying the presence of the other in their arms. After a few moments more, Ikaruga made a move to pull away — she wanted to look at Yomi. She wanted to see her and look at her and... And m-maybe even... k-ki...k-_kis_- Having none of that just yet, Yomi simply pulled Ikaruga even closer, preventing the girl's attempts at the innocent with a teasing giggle being the only explanation she gave at first.

"So... Ikaruga? If you're my present..." A shy smile formed on Yomi's lips as she hugged her girlfriend close. Now that she had gotten herself back together... And more importantly... Now that she had Ikaruga _right_ where she wanted her... She leaned towards the black haired girl's ear and whispered her next question, her tone low, so that its real meaning was given as much clarity as possible. Not that Ikaruga would need it, hopefully. "When can I unwrap you?"

Ikaruga's eyes shot open and her cheeks began to burn brighter than the Christmas decorations she had passed on the way here. Rather than get flustered or react how she did when a certain teammate of hers made such comments... She could only avert her gaze to anywhere else, her voice coming out quietly — so quiet that only Yomi could hear.

"A... After dinner. If you're good."

"Heehee~ Oh, I will be."

And somewhere across town, for reasons she would never know, Katsuragi began having the most furious nosebleed she had ever known.


End file.
